Category: Personal (Page 25 of 47)

I received an email from Biznik, explaining why their rates are going up about 10%. Keep an eye out for how many other of your online purchases are about to get another tax:

“Washington State, like many states in today’s economy, is looking hard at areas of ambiguity within their tax code. The state has just enacted legislation that became effective July 26, 2009 clarifying how digital products and services are to be taxed. Electronic downloads of music, movies, and other standard information have always been subject to sales and use tax. However, with the passage of this bill, all digital products and digital automated services will be subject to these taxes. Biznik is classified under the law as a Digital Automated Service (ESHB 2075 section (5)(a) – the newly enacted legislation). Consequently, we are required to collect and remit appropriate sales and use taxes on membership fees for customer’s located in the state.

How does this affect you? 

Biznik’s membership dues fall under the definition of taxable digital automated service. Starting on July 26, 2009, Washington Sales Tax at your local rate will be added to your recurring monthly membership fee.

The sales and use tax in the zip code is 0.095%. Therefore, $0.95 will be added each month to your $10 monthly membership fee.

Thank you for participating in the Biznik community!

Lara Feltin
Biznik Cofounder
lara@biznik.com

I am woefully late on paying my respects to America’s best loved broadcaster, Walter Cronkite.  So here is a link to the CBS News Tribute Page.  

You have to wonder whether a man like Cronkite would have been as successful in today’s world of lower journalism standards.  Would he have made 2009 journalism better, or would have he been passed over because of his inability to lower himself and do what it takes to get ratings?

I like to think there is a new version of Cronkite mulling around out there, who is going to reinvent broadcasting, and make it once again a place of relevance and respect, not ridicule.  As it is, I hope everyone in the industry has taken a few minutes to reflect back on Cronkite’s career, and what it looked like to report the news without being the news or injecting one’s own views.  

I’ll be attending the Sounders v Chelsea game July 18. But, if I wasn’t going to watch the most obnoxious and annoying English Premier League Club play against our beloved Sounders, I’d probably do this:

http://www.hightrekadventure.com/

Thanks to Liz’s friend Christy for the heads up on this event.

Why was this win important to Mexico fans? When the World Cup rolls around, they place all the competitors into 4 “seeding” categories, from 1-4. It’s kind of like the NCAA Tourney, where you know the Big East, ACC and Pac 10 reps will get the best seeds, while the mid majors will argue for a spot at the top of the bracket. Think of Europe as the Big East and ACC combined, South America the Big East or Pac 10, Concacaf a weak Big 10 or mid-major, and Asia and Africa the small conferences with automatic bids. Traditionally, it breaks out something like this:

• #1 seeds (8 total): 6-7 from Europe, 1-2 from South America (Brazil and Argentina)
• #2 seeds (8 total): 4-5 from Europe, 2-3 from S. Am, 1 from Concacaf
• #3 seeds (8 total): 2-3 from Europe, 2-3 from S. Am, 2-3 from Africa, 1 from Concacaf, 1 from Asia
• #4 Seeds (8 total): 1-2 from S. Am, 2-3 from Africa, 1 from Concacaf, 3-4 from Asia

Usually, Mexico gets that Concacaf entry into the #2 seeds, and the U.S. gets the #3 or #4 seed. So you get to the World Cup, and while Mexico has maybe England (#1), Paraguy (#3) and Australia (#4) in their group, the U.S. gets Italy (#1), the Czech Republic (#2) and Ghana (#3/4). Since only 2 teams go to the next round, the U.S. already needs an upset to survive, while Mexico just needs to avoid being upset.

But, a U.S. win in a sanctioned tournament over the #1 ranked team in the world, coupled with general dominance over Mexico over the last decade or so, then combined with the U.S. winning Concacaf over Mexico, may be enough to flip-flop the places in the pecking order. And if that happens, the chance to get seeded in a reasonable group becomes more likely.

Some fun pics from the game. Looking for more that I can repurpose…

I like to think of Spring Creek Group as a legitimate Marketing Services Agency that happens to specialize in Social Media.  So this site mocking Social Media Agencies makes me laugh.  Sadly, there are companies who this web site appears to be based, but I’ll be polite and not name them here…

Look how dusty this blog has gotten. I spent years getting my followers up to at least 5 a day, and now I’ll never get them all back….Next time I go on vacation, I promise to have interns write articles for me. Heck, I might start anyway.

Regardless – A quick thanks to everyone out in Iceland who made our trip such a blast. Anne-Marie from Copenhagen, Alex from Germany, Brian from Reykjavik via St. Louis, Sara from St. Louis, Tom the world traveller from Chicago, Andrew the Med student from Toronto, Sveinbjörna from the Reykjavik soccer team, and the Reykjavik crew of Gunnar, Jon and Svana, who coincidentally worked in Social Media and Small Business Incubation, respectively.

Also, thanks to the tourist information peeps in Akureyri, the bus depot folks in Reykjavik, all the hotel people who pointed us in the right direction, held our bags, and translated words with way too many J’s and K’s in them.

Stories to come, but the short version is that Iceland should get added to the top of your Vacation “To-Do” List if you enjoy stunning vistas, friendly people, incredible hiking, mind-numbing nature scenes, crazy food and a safe and clean environment.  If that’s not your cup of tea, then I suggest Cleveland.

More to come.

So I’m sitting in JFK doing a little philosophizing about Privacy with my friend Ari.  Ari is taking the stance that people will soon revolt against their inability to control their privacy – that people today are beginning to crave the privacy the had pre-Internet.  My argument is that people are just accepting the idea that privacy is an idea created by society, and not scalable or realistic anymore.

To prove the point, I’m writing a quick blog post to show that you can’t control your own privacy anymore.  Because anyone with a laptop, digital camera and internet access can snap a picture and post your whereabouts whether you want them to or not.

Your thoughts on the matter?